CONVENTION  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


REPORT  AND  RESOLUTIONS 


KROM    THE    COMMITTEE    ON 


Reliitifliis  witli  tlie  Slavelioldiiiff  States. 


I'KOVIDING      KOU 


COMMISSIONERS  TO  SUCH   STATES. 


Adopted  in  Convention,  Monday,  December  81^  1860. 


CHARLESTON: 

KVANS  &  CfKlSWELL.  PltlNTKHS  TO  THE  CONVENTION. 
No.  .3  Broiid  nii.I  103  East  Bay  t-treet. 

ISGl 


THE 

WILLIAM  R.  PERKINS 

UBRARY 

OF 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


Rare  Books 


CONVENTION  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


REPORT  AND  RESOLUTIONS 


KROM    TUF.    COMVITIKE    ON 


Relations  witli  tlic  Shivelioldiiio-  States, 


I'KOVIDISG     FOK 


COMMISSIONEES  TO  SUCH   STATES. 


Adopted  in  Convention,  Monday,  December  31,  1S60. 


CHARLESTON: 

KVANS  &  COGSWKLL,  PKIXTKKS  TO  THK  CONVKNTION. 
No.  3  Uroad  and  103  East  Bay  Street. 

1861. 


REPORT  AKD  RESOLUTIOI^S 

From  the  Committee  on  Relations  with  the  Slaveholding  States^ 
providing  for  Commissioners  to  such  States. 


The  Committee  on  "Relations  witli  the  Slaveholding 
States  of  North  America,"  beg  leave  to  report,  that  they 
have  carefully  considered  the  three  several  propositions 
contained  in  the  resolutions  referred  to  them,  which  were 
submitted  in  Convention  b}'  three  several  members  from 
St.  Philip's  and  St.  Michael's.  All  the  resolutions  re- 
ferred to  the  Committee  look  to  the  purpose  of  Confede- 
rate relations  with  our  sister  States  of  the  South,  having 
common  interests  with  us,  and  every  cause,  as  we  trust,  to 
indulge  towards  us  common  sympathies  and  to  contract  cor- 
dial relations.  In  such  a  purpose  the  Committee  entirely 
and  unanimousl}'  concur,  and  they  recommend  that  every 
proper  measure  be  adopted  to  accomplish  such  an  end. 
Upon  this  subject  so  much  unanimity  prevails  and  has  long 
prevailed  in  this  State,  that  an  argument  thereupon  would 
be  wholly  superfluous.  All  seem  to  agree  that  the  first  step 
proper  to  be  taken  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  and  securing 
the  Confederation  we  seek,  is  the  appointment  of  Commis- 
sioners, by  the  authority  of  this  Convention,  to  such  States 
of  the  South  as  may  call  Conventions  to  consider  and 
determine  their  future  political  relations. 

The  Committee  advise  that  such  steps  be  taken  by  this 
Convention,  hoping  and  believing  that  our  sister  States  of 
the  South  A\nll  correctly  interpret  our  action  in  taking  the 
initiative  as  arising,  by  no  means,  from  any  presumptuous 
arrogance,  but  from  the   advance  position  which  eircum- 


stances  have  given  to  tliis  State  in  the  line  of  procedure  for 
the  great  design  of  maintaining  the  riglits,  the  security  and 
the  very  existence  of  the  shivehokling  South. 

It  has  been  a  subject  of  anxious  consideration  with  the 
Committee  whether  the  Commissioners,  whose  appointment 
they  recommend,  should  be  instructed  to  tender  any  basis 
of  a  temporary  or  Provisional  Government  to  the  States  to 
which  they  may  be  accredited. 

The  instrument  called  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  has  been  suggested  as  a  suitable  and 
proper  basis  to  be  offered  for  a  Provisional  Government. 

This  suggestion  has  been  commended  to  the  Committee 
by  various  considerations,  which  cannot  now  be  set  forth  in 
full  or  at  large.     Among  these  are  : 

That  the  said  instrument  was  the  work  of  minds  of  the 
tirst  order  in  strength  and  accomplishment. 

That  it  was  most  carefully  constructed  by  comprehensive 
views  and  careful  examination  of  details. 

That  experience  has  proved  it  to  be  a  good  tbrm  of  gov- 
ernment for  those  sufficiently  virtuous,  intelligent  and 
patriotic  to  cause  it  to  be  fairly  and  honestly  construed  and 
impartially  administered. 

That  the  settled  opinion  of  this  State  has  never  been 
adverse  to  that  plan  of  government  of  Confederated  States 
on  account  of  anything  in  its  structure ;  but  the  dissatisfac- 
tion is  attributable  to  the  false  glosses,  and  dangerous  mis- 
interpretation, and  perversion  of  sundry  of  its  provisions, 
even  to  the  extent,  in  one  particular,  of  so  covering  up  the 
real  purposes  of  certain  legislation,  (meant  to  protect 
domestic  manufactures  in  one  section,)  as  to  estop  the  Su- 
preme Court,  in  its  opinion,  from  judicially  perceiving  the 
real  design. 

That  it  presents  a  complete  scheme  of  confederation, 
capable  of  being  speedily  put  into  operation  ;  familiar,  by 
long  acquaintance,  with  its  provisions,  and  their  true  im- 
port to  the  people  of  the  South,  many  of  whom  are  believed 
to  cherish  a  degree  of  veneration  for  it,  and  would  feel  safe 
under  it.  when  in  their  own  hands,  for  interpretation  and 


administration,  especially  as  the  portions  that  have  been, 
by  perversion,  made  potent  for  mischief  and  oppression  in 
the  hands  of  adverse  and  inimical  interests,  have  received 
a  settled  construction  by  the  South.  That  a  speedy  con- 
federation bv  the  South  is  desirable  in  the  hio-hest  deo-ree, 
which  it  is  supposed  must  be  temporary  at  first,  (if  accom- 
plished as  soon  as  it  should  he,)  and  no  better  basis  than 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  is  likely  to  be  sug- 
gested or  adopted  for  temp(^rary  purposes. 

That  the  opinions  of  those  to  whom  it  is  designed  to 
olfer  it,  would  be  conciliated  by  the  testimony  the  very  act 
itself  would  carry,  that  South  Carolina  meant  to  seek  no 
selfish  advantage,  uor  to  indulge  the  least  spirit  of  dic- 
tation. 

That  such  form  of  govenuuent  is  more  or  less  known  to 
Europe,  and,  if  adopted,  would  indicate  abroad  that  the 
seceding  Southern  States  had  the  foresight  and  energy  to 
[)ut  into  operation  forthwith  a  scheme  of  government  and 
administration  competent  to  produce  a  prompt  organization 
for  internal  necessities,  and  a  sufficient  protection  of  foreign 
commerce  directed  hither,  as  well  as  to  guarantee  foreign 
powers  in  the  confidence  that  a  new  Confederacy  had  im- 
mediately arisen,  quite  ade(|uate  to  supersede  all  the  evils, 
internal  and  external,  of  a  partial  or  total  interegnum. 

That  its  speedy  adoption  would  work  happily  as  a  revivi- 
fying agency  in  matters  financial  and  commercial,  between 
the  States  adopting  it,  and  between  them  as  a  united  power 
and  foreign  commercial  nations,  and  at  the  same  time 
would  combine  without  delay  a  power  touching  purse  and 
sword,  that  might  bring  to  a  prudent  issue  the  reflections 
of  those  who  may  perchance  be  contemplating  an  invasion, 
or  to  an  issue  disastrous  to  tliem,  the  attempted  execution 
of  such  unhol}'  design. 

Such  are  some  of  the  considerations,  very  rapidh^  stated, 
which  address  themselves  to  this  subject.  It  is  contended 
that  some  limitation  of  the  power  to  levy  duties,  and  that 
to  regulate  commerce,  (and  perhaps  other  provisions  of  the 
said  Constitution,)  may  be  desirable,  and  are  in  fact  so,  to 


6 

some  of  the  Committee,  yet  these  moditications  may  be 
safely  left  to  a  period  when  the  articles  of  a  permanent 
governiTTent  may  be  settled,  and  that,  meantime,  the  Con- 
stitution referred  to  will  serve  the  purpose  of  a  temporary 
Confederation,  which  tlic  Committee  unite  in  believing 
ought  to  be  sought,  through  al]  proper  measures,  most 
earnestly. 

It  is  also  submitted,  that  if  tlie  tender  of  the  said  Consti- 
tution, even  as  a  Provisional  Government,  should,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  Convention,  be  accompanied  by  a  condition 
that  it  be  subject  to  specific  limitations,  expositions  of  am- 
biguities, or  modifications,  the  Committee  Avould  respect- 
full}'  refer  to  the  Convention  itself  such  matters ;  and  this 
is  done,  not  because  the  Committee  would  not  willingly 
consider  and  report  upon  such  subject,  but  because  they 
deem  it  due  to  the  Convention  and  the  public  interest,  that 
they  should  now  lay  before  the  Convention  the  substantial 
propositions  contained  in  the  following  resolutions,  which 
the  majority  of  the  C.-ommittee  recommend  to  the  Conven- 
tion as  fit  to  be  adopted,  viz  : 

Resolved^  First.  That  this'Qonvention  do  appoint  a  Com- 
missioner to  proceed  to  each  of  the  slaveholding  .States 
that  may  assemble  in  Convention,  for  the  purpose  of  laying 
our  Ordinance  of  Secession  before  the  same,  and  respect- 
fully inviting  their  co-operation  in  the  formation  with  us  of 
a  Southern  Confederacy. 

Second.  That  our  Commissioners  aforesaid,  be  further 
authorized  to  submit,  on  our  part,  the  Federal  Constitution 
as  the  basis  of  a  Provisional  Grovernment  for  such  States 
as  shall  have  withdrawn  from  their  connection  with  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  of  America;  Provided, 
That  the  said  Provisional  Government,  and  the  tenures  of 
all  officers  and  appointments  arising  under  it,  shall  cease 
and  determine  in  two  years  from  the  1st  day  of  July  next, 
or  when  a  Permanent  Government  shall  have  been  organ- 
ized. 

Third.  That   the  said   Commissioners  be  authorized  to 


invite  the  seceding  States  to  meet  in  Convention,  at  such 
time  and  place  as  may  be  agreed  upon,  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  and  putting  in  motion  such  Provisional  Govern- 
ment, and  so  that  the  said  Provisional  Government  shall 
be  organized  and  go  into  effect  at  the  earliest  period  pre- 
vious to  the  4th  day  of  March,  18G1,  and  that  the  same 
Convention  of  seceding  States  shall  proceed  forthwith  to 
consider  and  propose  a  Constitution  and  plan  for  a  perma- 
nent Government  for  such  States,  which  proposed  plan 
shall  be  referred  back  to  the  several  State  Conventions  for 
their  adoption  or  rejection. 

Fourth.  That  eight  Deputies  shall  be  elected  by  ballot 
by  this  Convention,  who  shall  be  authorized  to  meet  in 
Convention  such  Deputies  as  may  be  appointed  by  the 
other  slaveholding  States  who  may  secede  from  the  Fed- 
eral Union,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  into  effect  the  fore- 
going resolutions ;  and  that  it  bo  recommended  to  the  said 
States,  that  each  State  be  entitled  to  one  vote  in  the  said 
Convention,  upon  all  questions  which  may  be  voted  upon 
therein  ;  and  that  each  State  send  as  many  Deputies  as  are 
equal  in  number  to  the  number  of  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives to  which  it  was  entitled  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States. 

D.  F.  JAMISOIiT,  President 

Attest:  B.  F.  Arthur,  Clerk. 


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